Philadelphia man dies after accident near Conowingo Dam Monday

AEGIS STAFF REPORT

One of two Pennsylvania men involved in an early Monday morning crash on the Harford County side of Conowingo Dam has died, Maryland State Police confirmed Monday afternoon.

Anila Vadala, 28, of the 4000 block of Locust Street in Philadelphia, died following the two-vehicle accident, which occurred around 5:45 a.m. Monday on Route 1 near the dam, according to State Police.

The accident involved a pickup truck and Honda, according to Sgt. Comer, duty officer at the Maryland State Police Barrack, which is investigating the crash. The dead man was driving the Honda.

Speed and alcohol are not believed to be factors in the crash, according to a Maryland State Police news release issued Monday afternoon.

Comer said the pickup was traveling south on Route 1 near the entrance to the dam and the Honda was traveling north, when the Honda slid out of control and swerved into the path of the pickup. The pickup T-boned the Honda on the passenger side, he said.

The accident occurred during extremely foggy conditions, Comer said, and aviation could not be used to transport the two injured drivers, both of whom are from Pennsylvania, he said.

According to the Harford County Fire & EMS Association's media Facebook page, volunteers from fire companies in Darlington, Level and Port Deposit extricated and treated two persons.

Mr. Vadala suffered "very serious" injuries, according to Comer, and was transported to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air. CPR was administered at the scene of the crash, he added. Mr. Vadala was pronounced dead at the hospital at 10 a.m., according to the later news release.

The driver of the pickup, Carl Absher of Drumore, Pa., was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries to lower extremities, Comer said.

Route 1 was closed for several hours following the accident.

Mr. Vadala's death is the third reported on Harford County highways in 2013.